U Thoung.

An Open letter to U Thoung
Freedom of Expression is absolute;
Without it nothing improved.
Dear Saya Aungbla,
Thank you for your journalist's courage to respond quickly and sqaurely to
those strange democrats, either White or non White, who are afraid of free
speech.
The debate is heating up, a good sign for Burmese democracy
movement outside Burma that has taken up a long hybernation!
It is normal for those, who first break the ground have to receive
severe rebukes from those who feel their idols and commonsense were
damaged by the unexpected attacks from the unexpected quarters. Yet, most
people who have started speaking up still reserved the most deplorable
episodes we have gone through in the last nine years. I have seen that the
response are merely personal accusations and threats which only reflect
what we have learned in the past as symptoms of " Leftwing infantile
disorder."
However, it also shows the students have started to come back their
original place in the struggle. Since 1990 election and creation of exile
govt. students have been playing second fiddle to NCGUB/DAB monopoly. Now
they are comming back to their original and rightful place.
Even though, I feel, the debate is still " a strom in the tea cup." We
need to bring in more veteran student fighters back into it. We do not
mind they join either side of the debate. But we do wish they be coming
back to the fold. Otherwise, the debate will be no more than a quarrel
between the two sets of " self important people."
By the way we must make it clear that, to free Burma from the grip of
tyranny is nobody's burdens but ours, i.e, the Burmese's. We appreciate
international sympathy and helps but experience showed that these
helps bring more harms than good by misjudgements and guidance of
false Prophets and Gurus.
So it seems to me that the first thing we must do, before we face SLORC
afresh, is that we must save Burmese democracy revolution from Eurocentric
views and Whiteman's burden outlooks.
SLORC has only one ultimate enemy, which is neither NLD, nor NCGUB, nor
DAB ethnics groups, nor China, nor Clinton/Albright team.
It is Burmese student since 1962. To make Burmese student ideologically
independent and politically mature will be the sole determinant for the
fate of our struggle.
( I am ready to pick up anybody's gauntlet that might be thrown down on my
table. )
Again thank you for knowing your responsibility
in the struggle.
Myint Shwe
Toronto